All about IQ tests

What is an IQ test?

An IQ (Intelligence Quotient) test is simply a measure of a persons intelligence. Obvious right?

But what is intelligence? This may seem like a stupid question, but it's had scientists and academics engaged in verbal beat 'em ups for a hundred years. They just can't agree on a conclusion! If you asked 10 of your friends and family to write down a definition of intelligence, you'd get back 10 entirely different answers.

This is because intelligence is different for everyone. There are a number of categories, or areas of the mind that people use. Some people have very bad memories but can paint a masterpiece as easy as blowing bubbles. Other people have very logical thought patterns and can program a computer as easy as falling over, but ask them to juggle two tasks at once and they'll fall to pieces. So how do you define whether someone who is good at maths is better than someone who is good at machinery? Well, IQ tests are generally designed to weigh up all the different areas of the brain and measure intelligence in each category and then give an overall score.
You could argue that someone who is intelligent has a very high score in one specific area, or you could say that it was someone who was proficient across the board, without lagging in any area.

iq
noun: a measure of a person's intelligence as indicated by an intelligence test; the ratio of a person's mental age to their chronological age (multiplied by 100)

Defining an IQ test is tricky because there are so many types. IQ tests come in many different shapes, forms and themes. Whereas some will ask a series of specific questions, others will vary sharply in many different subjects. Some will include practical, hands-on tests and others will be strictly pen-on-paper. There are also both paid and free IQ tests, both online and offline paid and free IQ tests and official and unofficial IQ tests.

All tests, though, whether free IQ tests or otherwise are united in their goal (although there are exceptions to this rule too!): to give as accurate a measure as possible of a persons intelligence. The first IQ test, in fact, was arranged by a college professor to establish which of his students would need extra help.


What does an IQ test involve?

Most IQ tests will be split into several categories such as short-term memory, verbal knowledge, spatial visualization, and perceptual speed. Usually there will be a time limit, either overall, for each category, or both.

IQ tests can be taken online and will, again, usually have a time limit. Your result will then be emailed to you or displayed on screen, usually with a comparison to other people. These tests are sometimes limited in their capacity, since they cannot do verbal testing, face-to-face, or practical hands-on assessment.

Offline tests are usually different and will likely involve human supervision. They are much more personal and have usually been calibrated to a higher degree.


Are IQ tests really accurate? Is my really IQ 279,013?!

Some of the free IQ tests online are very inaccurate since they have been developed by non-professionals who know little or nothing about how intelligence and the human mind work. However, many will argue that even professional and standardized tests are inaccurate since the human mind is too complex and varying to measure in any sensible way. That said, IQ tests definitely offer a measure of intelligence, but as stated it's important to remember that this measure may not be entirely accurate.

Alot of the online free IQ tests are popular because they're so quick and easy.
"Wow, I'm a genius!" the fella says after spending 15 minutes answering some multiple choice questions and getting an IQ result equal to that of Einstein, off to proudly strut his results across a plethora of profile sites and forums.
As apposed to to the poor fella who takes the real world test.
"I'm a failure!" he exclaims, having spent 6 hours in a dark room being watched like a hawk and subjected to all manner of verbal, physical and mental probes only to be told that he's average; just like everyone else.

Online free IQ tests may be more of a measure of your vanity than your IQ!